Saturday, 8 January 2011

Firstly I'm sorry that this is so late, uni and ma application deadlines are narrowing in on me and I feel like my brain is near explosion anyhow before i start to waffle on to the reviews.

Gaugin
This exhibition was recommended to me by my life drawing tutor at The Princes Drawing School, he said and I quote "its definitely worth the time to see not what he can do but what he cannot". This was in response to a crit that he was giving another artists, though at the time of his statement I had no idea of the relevance to our life drawing class or to the. Nevertheless having recently obtained a membership to Tate, I was slightly eager to visit (he is suppose to be a great artist, one whom I had never paid any great attention to previously). So you will understand that I was ever so slightly apprehensive, but after seeing a documentary on him and watch the below video.

I must say however that I was pleasantly surprised by the vast array of works that Tate had obtained for the exhibitions. It included drawings, paintings and prints using lino and wood block. It was fantastic to see his work progress and I fund it intriguing how you almost felt like you were experiencing the various traumas that befell him throughout his life. Be it through a loveless marriage, struggles for acceptance in the art world or his progressing syphilis. It is also important to know i think in a way that the women who feature heavily in his most popular works were just teenagers, interesting to think that he only felt compatible with someone half his age.

Anyhow the exhibition is fantastic on a whole and definitely worth 1 to 2 hrs of your time, please note that it is extremely popular and thus very busy so book your tickets now as the exhibition ends 16th Jan 2011.

Saturday, 1 January 2011

Well I have found the last two weeks quite difficult emotionally and professionally. With those aching doubts about every aspect of my life and the things that I have prided myself upon since I made the move to London. In my celebrations to ring in the new year I found myself thinking about where my work would take me and whether I was following the right paths to accomplish my goals. Then I realised there is no right or wrong way to become successful. So long as you believe in yourself ultimately you are already half way there.
So I'm back to building my portfolio and trying to find out who I am as an artist while further building up my lingerie line. I feel I fell short in what I had wanted to achieve with the line. Mainly because I felt I was being rushed and because I had lost faith in what I wanted to achieve. Now I feel more invigorated and ambitious than ever, so look out for some new designs in the next 8wks.
So on this new years day I awoke feeling that I had to stop fighting who I was as a person and make those changes that I have so yearned for throughout the year.
So I'm gonna list them so that they are a constant reminder:
1. Get a fringe hahaha I am but a fickle creature.(accomplished chopped it myself)
2. Reclaim my figure
3. Be even more ambitious
4. Socialise more in the industry
5. Visit and review more exhibitions
6. Create more work with concepts
7. Participate in an exhibition

By sticking to these guidelines in the coming year I can see it being a fruitful and rewarding year.
Tomorrow I'll pop back to the Tate or perhaps the Serpentine and revisit the Gaugin or Phillipe Pareno exhibitions and write up a review for them, less procrastination more action.